Folding structure for conversion from a chair to a cot and vice versa



Feb. 9, 1954 Fil ed March 6. 1955 c. E. PEARMAN 2,668,578 FOLDING STRUCTURE FOR CONVERSION FROM A CHAIR TO A COT AND VICE VERSA 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

@harlesEPe a r/ncm Feb. 1954 c. E. PEARMAN 6 7 FOLDING STRUCTURE FOR CONVERSION FROM A CHAIR TO A COT AND VICE VERSA Filed March 6. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. @hGPZeJEPedW/ndfl Patented Feb. 9, 1954 FOLDING STRUCTURE FOR CONVERSION FROM CHAIR TO 21 CDT AND VICE VERSA Charles :E. Pearman, Littleton, Colo.

Application March '45, 1953, Serial No. 1340;800

(Cl. 155i45) 2 iGlaims.

'1 This invention relates to a folding structure for conversion from '-a chair to a oot and vice versa and has for its primary object to support -a=person eitherin a sitting or in a reclining position-and in various positions between the sitting andrecl-ining positions.

Another object is to facilitate the storage of the structure when it is not in use.

A still further obj ect is to'enable the occupant to alter his position while occupying the structure and to lock the structure in the selected position.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features spaced front legs mounted intermediate their ends to move about a com- 'mon horizontal axis, spaced rear legs mounted intermediate their ends to move adjacent the front legs about the common axis, a cross bar 'carried' by the front legs and extending therebetween adjacent the ends thereof, cross bars carried by the rear legs and -extending therebetween adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof, the cross bars carried by both the front and 'rear legs lying parallel with the common axis, and an articulated structure connected adjacent opposite ends to the cross bars adjacent the lower ends of the legs for holding .said legs extended and means carried by the legs for adjustment from a sitting to a reclining :position and for supporting an occupant of the struc- 'ture.

Other features :include a foot rest frame =carried by the :rear legs adjacent the upper ends thereof for movement above the front legs about :an axis :which lies parallel to :the common .axis, a back .rest frame "carried Joy the front legs adjacent the upper ends thereof for movement above "the rear legs about an axis which lies vparallel to the common axis, and :a .sheet of flexible :material connected .to the framesadjacent the ends thereof remote from the upper ends of the legs for supporting a person on said structure.

Other features include extension :arms carried by the foot rest frame and extending longitudinally therefrom beyond the upper ends of the rear legs, arm rests pivotally connected to the extension arms and to the back rest. frame inter-- mediate the ends thereof, a toothed quadrant carried by a rear leg adjacent its connection to the foot rest frame an-c1 hand actuated means carried by the foot rest frame and engaging the teeth of the quadrant {for moving the frames relative to one another from a sitting to a reclining position.

Still other features include a second quadrant carried by the foot rest frame adjacent an arm rest, and releasable means carried by the arm res-t adj acent "the second "quadrant for engaging the teeth thereof and locking the'footrest-frame and back rest frame against relative movement.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a folding structure embodying the features this invention, -'certa-in portions thereof being shown in section more clearly to i-1l-ustrate certain details 'of construction.

Figure 2 is a front view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure -3 is a top plan View of the structure illustrated in=Fig-ure 1 Figure *4 is a view similar to *Eiglrre 1 showing the partsin different positions.

Figure 5 is a View similar to figure 1 showing the s'truc'ture folded preparatory to transportation or-storage.

Figure 6 is a 'firagmentary enlarged-view partially sectionof the position adjusting means.

Figure 7 is .an enlarged fragmentary --view=-of the positionlock ing means. 7

Referring to the drawings in detail this proved structure coinpr-ises a bed "portion designated generally m (and an occupant supporting structure designated generally "I72. "The .bed structure H) comprises a pair of spaced rear s-legs l -'4 and Iii which :are connected adjacent their upper and lower ends by transversely extending cross bars l8 and 20 respectively to defineasub- :stantially rectangular frame. A pair of :spaced legs 22 :and 2-4 are connected adjacent lower :ends by .a :cross bar 26 .and :adjacent their upper ends ;by :a transversely extending downwardly is owed :cross :bar 28. The legs EM and 2 2, and the legs l6 and 1-24 are iCOIIHGCtGd to- .gether intermediate their :ends :to rotate about a common horizontal axis .at :30 zto define the base or bed l fi, opposite side legs :o'f which :are crossed inter-mediate their ends. Connected :to the cross bar L20 :between the legs em and. 55 ifor vmovement :about the axis-10f cross bar :a :link L32 and a similar 134 is pivotally connected to the cross bar :28. Ilhe zendsof :the links 232 and @314 remote "from those Whichzam coupled :to the cross bars 20 ahdzlfizare :pivotally coupled, as at 236, :to provide .a stretcher designated :generally 38. suitable .stop no is carried :by the link 34 and overhangs the adjacent end. of the link :32 to prevent downward zmolvenlent :of the links '32 and :31 beyond :a substantially 1110mttal position. ilhus @the :stretcher 238 will ito hold the front and rear legs extended as shown in Figure 1 when the structure is in use but by breaking the stretcher 38 about the pivot 35, the front and rear legs may be folded together about the common axis 30 to facilitate the transportation and storage of the structure.

Mounted on the leg l4 adjacent the upper end thereof is a quadrant 42 having an arcuate row of teeth 44 projecting outwardly from the side thereof remote from the leg M for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter described.

Pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the cross bar l8 adjacent leg 22 is a side bar 46 and pivotally mounted on the cross bar 18 adjacent the leg 25 is a side bar 48. These side bars are joined adjacent their ends remote from the cross bar I8 by an end bar 50 which extends transversely between the side bars 44 and 48 to define a foot rest frame designated generally 52 which is adapted to move in a vertical arcuate path above the front legs 22 and 24 about the axis of the cross bar [8. Extending through the side bar 46 adjacent the upper end thereof and mounted for rotation about its own axis is a shaft 54 carrying adjacent one end a worm 56 which engages the teeth 44 of the quadrant 42 so that when the shaft is rotated, the foot rest frame 52 will be moved in its arcuate path to a selected position relative to the horizontal. A suitable hand crank 58 is carried by the shaft 54 remote from the Worm 56 and is coupled to said shaft so that by turning the hand crank the shaft will be rotated.

Pivotally connected to the front legs 22 and .25 adjacent the upper ends thereof are side rails 66 and 62 which are connected adjacent their opposite ends by a transversely extending cross bar 64 to define with the cross bar 28 a substantially rectangular back rest frame designated generally 66. A cross member 68 extends between the side rails 66 and 62 adjacent the cross bar 64 and secured to the cross member 68 and to the cross member 50 is a length of flexible material which forms the supporting surface for the occupant of the structure. Pivotally connected as at 12 to the end of the side bar 46 remote from the cross member 50 is an arm rest which is pivotally connected, as at 76, to the side rail 60 intermediate the ends thereof. A similar arm rest i8 is pivotally connected to the side bar 48 adjacent its upper end, as at 80, and is pivotally connected, as at 82, to the side rail 62, intermediate the ends thereof.

Mounted, as at 84, for rocking movement above the arm rest I8 is a latch member 86 carrying a depending tooth. 88 which is adapted to engage the teeth of a quadrant 90 which is fixed to the side bar 48 inconcentric relation about the pivotal connection 12. A lever arm 92 is carried by the latch member 86 and extends outwardly therefrom in the opposite direction thereto so that movement of the lever arm in a vertical arcuate path about the rockable connection 84 the latch member 86 will be moved into and out of contact with the quadrant 90. A compression coil spring 94 is seated in a recess 96 formed in the arm rest 18 and engages the under side of the lever 92 to urge the lever 86 toward the quadrant 90 and the tooth 8! will move into a notch between the teeth of .the quadrant 90 as will be readily understood upon reference to Figure 7.

In use the legs [4 and I6 and 22 and 24 are extended as shown in Figure l with the stretcher 38 fully extended to hold the legs spread and to provide a base It for the structure. The user may before or during occupation of the structure adjust the angles of the foot rest frame 52 and the back rest frame 66 by moving the lever 92 against the effort of the spring 94 to disengage the tooth 88 from the quadrant and upon turning the hand crank 58, the foot rest frame will be rotated about the axis of the cross bar [8 and simultaneously the back rest frame 66 will be moved by the arm rests 14 and 18 from either a fully reclining position in which the foot rest frame 52 and back rest frame 56 lie in substantial alignment as illustrated in the broken lines in Figure l or into the chair forming position illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Obviously by the use of this structure the occupant may alter his position from a sitting to a reclining position or return to the sitting position without moving from the supporting sheet 70 by the simple releasing of the tooth 88 from the quadrant 9i] and turning the shaft 5 3 by the hand crank 58.

When it is desired to fold the structure for transportation or storage, the parts are moved to the position illustrated in Figure 5 so that the structure will occupy the minimum amount of space and the stretcher 38 will be broken on the joint 36 to permit the front and back legs to be folded together.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A folding structure for conversion from a chair to a cot and vice versa, said structure comprising spaced front legs mounted intermediate their ends to move about a common horizontal axis, spaced rear legs mounted intermediate their ends to move adjacent the front legs about the common axis, a cross bar carried by the front legs and extending therebetween adjacent the lower ends thereof, cross bars carried by the rear legs and extending therebetween adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof, the cross bars carried by both the front and rear legs lying parallel with the common axis, an articulated stretcher connected adjacent opposite ends to the cross bars adjacent the lower ends of the legs for holding said legs extended, a foot rest frame carried by the rear legs adjacent the upper ends thereof for movement above the front legs about an axis which lies parallel to the common axis, a back rest frame carried by the front legs adjacent the upper ends thereof for movement above the rear legs about an axis which lies parallel to the common axis, extension arms carried by the foot rest frame and extending longitudinally therefrom beyond the upper ends of the rear legs, arm rests pivotally connected to the extension arms and to the back rest frame intermediate the ends thereof, a sheet of flexible material connected to the frames adjacent the ends thereof remote from the upper ends of the legs for supporting a person on said structure, a toothed quadrant carried by a rear leg adjacent its connection to the foot rest frame, and hand actuated means carried by one of the extension arms of the foot rest frame and engaging the teeth of the quadrant for moving the frames relative to one another.

2. A folding structure for conversion from a chair to a cot and vice versa, said structure com- JIM" prising spaced front legs mounted intermediate their ends to move about a common horizontal axis, spaced rear legs mounted intermediate their ends to move adjacent the front legs about the common axis, a cross bar carried by the front legs and extending therebetween adjacent the lower ends thereof, cross bars carried by the rear legs and extending therebetween adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof, the cross bars carried by both the front and rear legs lying parallel with the common axis, an articulated stretcher connected adjacent opposite ends to the cross bars adjacent the lower ends of the legs for holding said legs extended, a foot rest frame carried by the rear legs adjacent the upper ends thereof for movement above the front legs about an axis which lies parallel to the common axis, a back rest frame carried by the front legs adjacent the upper ends thereof for movement above the rear legs about an axis which lies parallel to the common axis, extension arms carried by the foot rest frame and extending longitudinally therefrom beyond the upper ends of the rear legs, arm rests pivotally connected to the extension arms and to the back rest frame intermediate the ends thereof, a sheet of flexible material connected to the frames adjacent the ends thereof remote from the upper ends of the legs for supporting a person on said structure, a toothed quadrant carried by a rear leg adjacent its connection to the foot rest frame, hand actuated means carried by one of the extension arms of the foot rest frame and engaging the teeth of the quadrant for moving the frames relative References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 786,308 Nuss Apr. 4, 1905 865,006 Bensinger Sept. 3, 1907 979,236 Williams Dec..20, 1910 2,507,024 Lee May 9, 1950 

